Mumbai: Bail To Fishermen Caught For Illegally Sailing From Kuwait To India

Mumbai: Observing that there appears no other angle to the offence other than illegally entering India via sea, a magistrate court on Saturday granted bail to the three fishermen who sailed from Kuwait, escaping “torture” at the hands of their employer. Hailing from Tamil Nadu, Nitso Ditto, 31, Vijay Anthony, 29, and J Anish, 29, embarked on a boat journey from the Gulf on January 28 and were intercepted by Indian law agencies on February 6.

In their bail plea, the trio claimed that they are residents of India and are victims of the circumstances. They further said that their employer used to assault them with rods and had even snatched their passports. However, the prosecution contended that the law agency still has no information about them from the Kuwait embassy. If they are enlarged on bail, there is a possibility that they may abscond, it added.

Granting relief, Additional chief metropolitan magistrate at Esplanade court Pravin Modi said that the investigation agency is not alleging that there is any other angle to their act. Also, the police recovered fishing licenses from them. Prima facie, it appears that they are fishermen having family in India, concluded the court.